Story: Ranginui – the sky

Winter stars

To some tribes the new year in mid-winter was signalled by the dawn rising of Matariki (the Pleiades), while to others it was the rising of Puanga (Rigel). Takurua (Sirius) was also associated with winter. Along with other stars, Matariki, Puanga, and Tautoru (Orion's Belt) were important in the navigation of the Ngāti Kahungunu canoe, Tākitimu, to New Zealand. Taumata-kuku is the bright-red giant star Aldebaran.